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Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Dr Sadia Bhutta of AKU’s Institute for Educational Development (IED), has received the Best University Teacher award from the Higher Education Commission (HEC) for the year 2015 at a ceremony in Islamabad.

The annual award from HEC, Pakistan’s university accreditation and regulatory body, honours teachers in higher education who have made a contribution to society through innovative teaching practices, research and community service.

An IED alumna from the Class of 1999, Dr Bhutta went on to earn her doctorate in Education with a specific focus on Health Promotion through Schools from Oxford University’s Department of Education before returning to Pakistan to take up a position as the IED’s Head of Research and Policy Studies.

In this role, she ensures that research at IED is relevant to the country’s education challenges and that studies are designed to inform government policy. Alongside her research responsibilities, she also teaches graduate classes in research methodology, health promotion and science.

Her innovative teaching methods have seen her win IED’s annual student-nominated on five occasions, including a period where she won the prize for four years in a row.

Speaking about the award from the HEC, Dr Bhutta said: “I’m honoured to receive this national award. I’ve always felt at home in the classroom where my focus has been on engaging students so that they really enjoy learning. IED has helped me understand how people learn, how to use different teaching methods and how important it is to constantly reflect on one’s educational practices.”

Dr Bhutta started her academic career as a secondary school science teacher in a government school in Balochistan.

In recent years she has focused on teaching science education, the development and validation of assessment tools as well as leading and conducting large-scale studies in the field of education in general and science and health education in particular.

Thursday, December 8, 2016

The experts have warned that misuse and overuse of antibiotics in humans and animals has resulted in the widespread distribution of resistant organisms in several countries, including Pakistan which means that antibiotics which were previously able to cure will not work any more.

They were addressing a national symposium on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) organized by the Aga Khan University (AKU), Karachi.

The symposium coincides with the launch of the National Strategic Framework for Antimicrobial Resistance by the Government of Pakistan the other week.

“Antibiotic resistance is as much a problem in Pakistan as in the Western hemisphere,” Dr Sadia Shakoor, Assistant Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at AKU, reckoned.

“We know that infections acquired in the community are becoming resistant because antibiotics are available freely to the population even without prescriptions, leading to overuse. This needs to be checked through physician training to limit prescriptions and legislation to prevent over-the-counter availability of antibiotics,” she added.

Superbugs, resistant to antimicrobials, are estimated to account for 700,000 deaths each year worldwide. A study shows that drug resistant infections will kill an extra 10 million people a year – more than currently die from cancer, by 2050 unless action is taken.

“At the UN General Assembly in September this year, leaders from 193 countries signed a landmark declaration agreeing to combat antimicrobial resistance,” Dr Rana Hajjeh, Director, Department of Communicable Diseases Prevention and Control, WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean., observed.

“Every signatory has agreed that drug resistant infections must be tackled as a priority. The nations have committed to develop surveillance and regulatory systems on the use and sale of antimicrobial medicines for humans and animals, encourage innovative ways to develop new antibiotics and improve rapid diagnostics, and raise awareness among health professionals and the public on how to prevent drug resistant infections,” she said while having ongratulated Pakistan for developing the first national policy on antimicrobial resistance.

Dr Rumina Hasan, Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at AKU highlighted the need for strengthening diagnostic facilities to better diagnose infectious diseases and detect AMR to guide health care providers in selecting appropriate treatment. The AMR develops naturally over time, usually through genetic changes in bacteria. However, misuse and overuse of antimicrobials accelerates this process.

“Most illnesses with fevers, e.g., colds, flu and diarrhea, are caused by viruses, for which antibiotics are not recommended. However, due to over-the-counter availability, antibiotic consumption is found to correlate with these seasonal illnesses implying the misuse of antibiotics,” Dr Erum Khan, Assistant Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at AKU, remarked.

“Other examples of misuse include use of antibiotics as growth promoters in farming of animals for food, livestock, fish and poultry farming. As for humans, antibiotic usage in animals too should be restricted to manage bacterial infections. The rate of discovery of new antibiotics has slowed down drastically and the antibiotic pipeline is running dry. There is an urgent need to conserve and safeguard the antibiotics that we have available.”

The other speakers included Dr Muhammad Salman from National Institute of Health, Dr Ejaz Khan from Shifa International Hospital, Dr Rene Hendriksen from Technical University of Denmark, Dr Ali Ahmed from University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, and Dr Revathi Gunturu and others from AKU.

The event was organized by AKU’s Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine in collaboration with the University’s Department of Continuing Professional Education, Health Security Partners, USA, Medical Microbiology and Infectious Disease Society of Pakistan, and Pakistan Academy of Sciences

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

The work on Rs 7 billion project of dualization of railway track from Port Qasim to Bin Qasim Railway station will be completed by June 30, 2017.

The 11-km long track is being renewed with laying of a new track to facilitate the transportation of coal from Port Qasim to Bin Qasim Railway station for supply to upcountry destination.

Engr Nisar Memon, the Divisional Superintendent Railways Karachi Division, revealed during an interview that 80 percent work on the existing track has been completed, while plan was afoot for the construction of a new railway station between Port Qasim and Bin Qasim.

He said that the renewal work on 135-km track between Landhi and Kotri Railway Stations has been completed at a cost of Rs nine billion, adding that the work on strengthening of the track is going and upon completion, the train speed will increase from existing 110 km/hour to 120 Km/hour thus reducing the journey time considerably.

Replying a question the DS Railways informed that uplift and renovation work of Karachi Cantonment Station was in progress.

According to him as part of beefed up security measures, the railway authorities have installed two scanners Cantonment Station besides 8-10 walk through gates.

He said that for security measures entries into station were being sealed. He said that railway is raising the platform of various stations between Karachi City and Tando Adam railway stations and work thereon will be completed by March 2017.

To another question, Engr Nisar Memon claimed that black marketing of tickets has been minimized through stringent measures taken for the purpose.

He stated that online advance booking system, introduced on the directive of the Railways Minister, Khawaja Saad Rafiq, has greatly facilitated the traveling public, indicating after the initial slow the response, it’s picking up with every passing day.

Unusually high levels of lead and arsenic, heavy metals most commonly associated with human poisoning, have been found in common foods. These are the findings of a research study, conducted by the Aga Khan University in collaboration with Japan’s Jichi Medical University, that were presented at a seminar Heavy Metals, Food Safety and Child Development at AKU on December 5.

Lead and arsenic are two chemicals deemed to be of major concern to public health, according to the World Health Organization’s International Programme on Chemical Safety, since both elements have toxic effects that can cause irreversible neurological damage and even trigger a wide range of chronic diseases.

To determine the cause of lead and arsenic exposure, the AKU researchers looked at common sources of lead and arsenic exposure including petrol, foods, drinking water, house-dust, respirable dust and soil across urban and rural areas of Pakistan.

In addition, blood samples from pregnant women, newborns and young children were taken to assess their health risk. Surprisingly, drinking water and surma (kohl) were not the main sources of lead exposure.

For pregnant women, foods such as potatoes and boiled rice and for children, food and house-dust were found to be the most important contributors of lead exposure. The women and children who took part in the study had blood lead levels significantly higher than the 5 µg/dl (microgrammes per deciliter) used as a reference level for health risk by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Describing the findings of the study, Dr Ambreen Sahito, research coordinator for the study, stated that more than “60 per cent of newborns and about 90 per cent of children aged 1-3 years had blood lead levels that exceeded CDC guidelines, with grave lifelong consequences. Finding of the research are also relevant to Sustainable Development Goal 3 that calls for efforts to reduce deaths and illnesses caused by exposure to hazardous chemicals.”

Dr Zafar Fatmi, professor of Community Health Sciences at AKU, revealed that Pakistan’s population has a relatively higher exposure to lead than other countries. “Food contamination can occur during production (farming), processing (in industry or at home) or packaging (if materials are contaminated with lead) and this calls for food processes to be regulated and monitored at each stage. Policymakers will need to pay closer attention to how lead contaminants are entering food chain.”

He said that the next step was a systematic investigation to reveal at which point in the cycle food is contaminated. Research is also needed into the most commonly contaminated food items, he added.

Exposure to lead can be limited by simple home activities: hand hygiene, mothers and children washing their hands and washing well, as well as regular wet mopping. Poocha, swabbing, lessens house-dust, containing air pollutants and paint contaminants, reducing lead exposure among children substantially, Dr Shahla Naeem, a member of the AKU research team, remarked

A second study looking into arsenic exposure had equally surprising findings. It is often thought that drinking water and ‘unsafe’ cookware determines arsenic exposure.

The researchers looked deeper into the issue by cooking with water that had been boiled and in pans made of four different metals. What they found was that regardless of the type of cookware used, chicken had at least 15 times more arsenic than potatoes and up to 5 times more arsenic than lentils that had been cooked in identical water.

Explaining the policy implications of the arsenic study, Dr Fatmi, Dr Sahito and Dr Ghani pointed out two areas of concern. “Water standards do need to be considered. The government needs to provide a safe drinking water supply for communities living along the riverbanks as groundwater is a well-known source of arsenic.”

“Equally important is food standards. We suspect that chicken feed or vaccines given to poultry could be the source of arsenic in meat.”

It was pointed out that the US Federal Drug Authority has banned an arsenic-based poultry vaccine in April 2015 and regulatory authorities should consider doing the same in Pakistan. However, speakers stressed that the public should not stop eating chicken for fear of arsenic exposure.

Dr Fatmi said: “While more research is needed on this topic, it’s important to note that people shouldn’t stop eating chicken altogether as it is an important source of protein. For the public, health risks from arsenic exposure are not only determined by the amount of toxins found in food but also by the rate of consumption and the body mass (height and weight) of the consumer.”

Epigenetic studies are underway, in collaboration with the Japanese that investigate how lead and arsenic exposure affect genes and could potentially lead to chronic diseases. Such research would help understand the long-term impact of heavy metals on public health, speakers added.

The studies have been funded by Japan’s Ministry Of Health, Labour and Welfare with support from AKU’s University Research Council. Dr Abdul Ghani, Dr Ambreen Sahito and Dr Shahla Naeem from the Aga Khan University’s Community Health Sciences Department and Professor Fujio Kayama from the JICHI Medical University spoke at the event.

Professor Asad Saeed from Karachi University, Amna Khatoon and Seema Ashraf from the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority, M Yahya from the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency, Professor Masood Kadir from the AKU’s Community Health Sciences Department and Dr Ghazala Rafique from the AKU’s Human Development Programme were also present at the seminar.

Monday, December 5, 2016

“We are running
successful businesses, leading civil rights organizations and inspiring
students in schools,” members of the public with disabilities spoke at a
seminar on December 2 at the Aga Khan University (AKU), Karachi,

The strategies to
prevent injuries that cause disabilities, initiatives to broaden access to
rehabilitative services and steps to make educational services more inclusive
were discussed at the event celebrating the International Day of Persons with
Disabilities. In Pakistan, five million people suffer from some form of
disability.

“Yet less than 1 in 5
of the country’s persons with disabilities (PWD) can access the social and
educational support they need to thrive. Only 1 in 7 receive the help they need
to participate fully in the workforce and just 1 in 10 have access to
rehabilitative services that can help them recover.”

“If the true measure
of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members, then
Pakistan has much more to do on this front. We can make a small start by
ensuring that facilities for wheelchair users are present in all public
spaces,” Dr Mohammad Wasay, professor of neurology at AKU, pointed out.

The speakers at the
event noted that the 2002 National Policy for Persons with Disabilities calls
for the creation of an environment that provides full support to PWDs by
2025.

They reckoned that
much work still needs to be done to fulfill the government’s policy goals and
also drew attention to the theme of this year’s world day Achieving 17 Goals
for the Future We Want which refers to international commitments under the 2030
Sustainable Development Goals.

“Pakistan is committed
to the global agenda and there are 11 specific references to persons with
disabilities in the Sustainable Development Goals, under Goals 4, 8, 10, 11 and
17. These goals call for access to quality education, steps to reduce
inequality, strategies to promote inclusive economic growth, initiatives to
make communities and cities accessible to all, and formal efforts to track the
impact of programmes on the most vulnerable populations.”

“Support for these
goals is needed across all sections of society so that Pakistan adopts policies
that support PWDs and creates an environment that enables them to achieve their
full potential,” Dr Wasay added.

Outlining the steps
that can help prevent disabilities and create an inclusive society, experts
called on members of civil society, welfare organizations and the government to
collaborate to introduce three types of measures. The first is to improve the
enforcement of road traffic laws on speed limits, rash driving and mandatory
helmet wearing that the results in one million trauma injuries a year in the
country.

About 10 per cent of
these injuries, which affect the brain and spinal cord, lead to disabilities
which can be prevented by ensuring that traffic laws are obeyed.

A second initiative
that needs to be taken is within hospitals, said speakers. Many types of
disabilities related to childhood development delays, sensory impairments and
motor disabilities can be treated through rehabilitative programmes, therapies,
and the provision of orthopaedic devices.

Unfortunately, these
vital services are not available in most public sector hospitals. Experts said
the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) has taken the lead in this area by
ensuring the presence of rehabilitative services at every district level public
sector hospital and urged other provincial governments to follow KP’s
example.

Commenting on the
importance of rehabilitative services, Javed Sheikh, CEO of HR consultancy
e-square, spoke of the severe spinal cord injuries in 1995 that left him
paralysed from the waist down.

“After my injury, I
went through 25 days of rehabilitation and occupational therapy which helped me
to understand how to return to daily tasks at home and work. The therapy
enabled me to return to living my life. Today, I continue to lead the company I
founded in 2006, 11 years after my disability. I may be in a wheelchair but I
can go wherever I please and I am independent.”

Dr Wasay also
mentioned the need for public awareness initiatives to help in the early
detection and treatment of diseases such as stroke and diabetes that can cause
disabilities.

He explained that
stroke could cause paralysis while diabetes can result in vision loss, renal
issues and complications requiring amputation.

Finally, speakers also
stressed how professional bodies, the media and public sector stakeholders can
play an important role in helping the disabled access higher education.
Nasimuddin, an associate professor at the Government College for Women, Sharea
Liaquat, who is legally blind, said: “There are many institutions devoted to
supporting the education of those with special needs but they lack the funds
and workforce to make a difference. Scholarships and reserved seats for the
disabled can empower PWDs to achieve their potential.”

“The government can
also help by conducting a census of PWDs so that they can understand that there
are many PWDs who are capable of excelling in school and in the workplace. In
addition, we also need the electronic media to profile successful people with
disabilities so that people believe that we can play a useful role in society.”

Javed Sheikh also
highlighted how support among one’s immediate family and colleagues plays an
important role in adjusting to the new reality and in encouraging PWDs to take
charge of their lives.

“I was working as the
regional sales manager of a large telecommunications company when my spinal
cord injury meant that I had to use a wheelchair. I remember the CEO of the
company sending me a letter assuring me that I was an integral part of the
organisation. My colleagues and immediate family were also very encouraging in
the early days. When you give people such a harmonious and encouraging
environment it empowers them to take charge of their lives and overcome any
obstacle.”

Other speakers on the
day included deaf businessman Khursheed Akhtar, the President of the Deaf and
Dumb Association, Aamir Nizami, a patient with multiple scelerosis who manages
a retail business, Mohsin Kaimkhani, Director, Revenue, of the Karachi Water
and Sewerage Board, who is paralysed from the waist down, and Nazir-ul-Hasan who
earns a living as a rickshaw driver despite limb disabilities caused by polio.

Shaheer Khan, the US-based Muslim scientist and a senior Aligarhian, currently on a short visit to Pakistan, was the chief guest at a luncheon hosted by Prof Dr Jawaid H Rizvi, Vice-Chancellor Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology (SSUET).

A senior staff scientist at Applied Biosystems (Thermo Fisher Scientific), San Francisco Bay Area Biotechnology, Shaheer Khan is an accomplished multidisciplinary scientist with 20 plus years of research and product development experience in Biotech Company.

He has demonstrated strong synthetic and analytical chemistry background for discovery and development of new products in a multidisciplinary team environment and has an extensive background in organic chemistry with an emphasis on nucleosides/nucleotides and oligonucleotide.

During an interaction with the luncheon participants Shaheer Khan praised the Aligarh Muslim University Old Boys Association (AMUOBA) for its efforts for the establishment of an engineering university after the name of great reformer and educationist Sir Syed Ahmed Khan.

He praised the SSUET founders late Zakir Ali Khan and Z A Nizami who, he observed, steered the AMUOBA towards achievements of cherished objectives in the field of education, particularly engineering.

Shaheer Khan spoke about the AMUOBA like associations elsewhere in the world and expressing his desire to establish associations on the pattern of the Association at Aligarh University and called upon the SSUET's passed out graduates and now living abroad to contact him for the very purpose.

He informed that the preparations have started to celebrate the 200th birth anniversary of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan on October 17, 2017.

As regards his association in US, he said that its functions are attended by people belonging to all religion as they don't allow any political and religious discussions from its forum.

In his remarks on the occasion the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Dr Jawaid H. Rizvi welcomed Shaheer Khan to the SSUET describing him as a proud Aligarhian rendering most important services in the field of science and technology in the US.

He disclosed that during his meeting with him he discussed with him important matter like visiting fellowship, research collaboration, student guidance, post-graduation programme with faculty.

Later the visiting scientist, accompanied by Anwar Ali and Arshad Khan visited the under-construction Sir Syed Tower at M.R. Kiyani Road opposite Arts Council of Pakistan. He praised the AMUOBA for its outstanding projects and said these projects would contribute greatly towards national development as a follow up of the mission of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan.

Monday, November 28, 2016

A six-member group of students of the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) visited the headquarters of the Pakistan Railways in Lahore to acquaint themselves with the infrastructure, operation and working of the railway system.

The group consisting of four girls and two boys, called on the Chief Personnel Officer, Shoaib Adil, at his office and had an in depth interaction with him about the railway affairs.

The CPO briefed the visitors about the railway working in greater details and specially the efforts being made by the Railways Minister, Khawaja Saad Rafique, for the railway's turn around to make it Pakistan's prestigious organization.

He explained to the students the railway's soaring revenue income, the addition of new locomotives and carriages and the working of different cadres of the railway staff besides other things.

The LUMS students pitched a volley of searing questions especially about the steps taken for increasing the railway's revenues, the hiring system for the employees, the train operations, the safety and security measures for passengers.

Shoaib Adil informed that since the present leadership took over, the efficiency of the railway staff has went up manifold which brought amazing changes in the organization leading to achievement of remarkable results.

He said as of today any hiring is made on total merit and more focus is paid on their training particularly with regard to provision of travelling facilities, safety and security of travelers and related aspects.

The Pakistan Railways has made great strides in its revenue earnings with Karachi railway division alone having achieved amazing targets with total revenue earnings rising from Rs 4172.468 million in 2011-12 to Rs 15,615.820 million in 2015-16.

The statistics showed that railways’ revenue earnings stood at Rs 2326.312 million in 1988-89 and soared to Rs 4726.668 million in 2012-13 but shot up to Rs 15,615.820 million in just 2 years 2014-16.

"The earnings of the division stood at Rs 12,158 million in 2014-15 as against the target of Rs 9304.276 million and went up to Rs 15,615.820 million as against the target of Rs 12,732 million in 2015-16,”Engr Nisar Memon, the Divisional Superintendent Railways Karachi Division, informed in an interview.

Giving head wise earning position, he revealed that from July 2016 to October 2016, the railway's passenger earnings touched a record Rs 2126.150 million as against the target of 1978.068 million and on the goods side it stood at Rs 3161.55 million as against the target of Rs 2941.462 million.

According to him, the passenger earnings of Karachi Division stood at Rs 575.817 million in 1988-89 which entered into four figure when for the first time railway earned Rs 1064.570 million in 1995-96 and shot up to Rs 3102.947 million in 2012-13 after the present regime came into power registering a steep rise to Rs 4081.624 million in 2014-15 and a record Rs 5779.633 in 2015-16.

On the freight side, Nisar Memon stated that the earnings stood at Rs 1,610 .906 million in 1988-89 which soared to Rs 6391.714 million in 2013-14 and rose to a record Rs 9151.506 million in 2015-16 thus carrying the total earnings from both passenger and freight sides to Rs 15,615.820 million.

He observed that these targets were achieved primarily because of the leadership provided by the Federal Railways Minister, Khawaja Saad Rafique who has made tremendous efforts to eradicate corruption from the organization which in the past badly devoured its resources.

He remarked that the minister's appreciation of their performance had provided them a boost to their efforts to make Karachi Division the highest revenue earning Division of Pakistan.

The minister, he said, has directed that the facilities being provided to traveling passengers be further improved and Karachi Railway Division is working on various projects in this regard.

As a result of the efforts made the trains’ punctuality rate has increased to over 80 percent for Down trains and almost 100 percent for upcountry trains.

Sunday, November 20, 2016

The Chief Minister of Sindh, Syed Murad Ali Shah, in his address to Aga Khan University’s 29th convocation, highlighted the importance of a broad-based, multidisciplinary education in tackling the country’s problems.

“We need natural scientists and social scientists, writers and artists, entrepreneurs and public policy experts who can work across boundaries of all kind in order to start and lead progress in wide range of fields,” he observed while speaking to the university’s 383 graduands.

While praising the AKU’s plans to invest in a new Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) in Karachi, he spoke of the social contribution that a liberal arts education can make.

“The FAS will fill a deep need within Pakistan for universities that create leaders who possess the critical thinking, creativity and problem solving skills, an inquiring mind, breadth of knowledge and respect for all people needed to tackle the most complex challenges the country face. This is the mission of the FAS and the government of Sindh encourages the AKU to make this a reality,” he declared.

The Chief Minister, who is himself a qualified civil engineer, also spoke of the ‘unyielding power of their education to impact humanity and urged graduands to use their skills to address the many issues in Pakistani society. “Be conscious of that power and use it to give the best to humanity,” he added.

Firoz Rasul, President, AKU, in his welcome address spoke about how we, as human beings, seek a higher purpose, a challenge that brings meaning to our lives, and that leaves a mark on the lives of others. He mentioned that one great challenge is the Sustainable Development Goals that 193 countries, including Pakistan, have committed to by 2030.

“If Pakistan were to meet them, it would be a country transformed,a place where no child suffers from hunger, every boy and girl is taught by well-qualified teachers, and all people have access to high-quality healthcare. At AKU, we are working to make that vision a reality, as an educator of leaders, a source of research that generates solutions to critical challenges and a provider of life-saving health care,” he stated.

He went on to say how students can use the knowledge and skills they have developed at AKU to make an extraordinary difference, to “work on behalf of a great cause, to seek to do what has never been done is an experience as thrilling and inspiring as any you will ever know.”

“There is no greater reward than the knowledge that your efforts have deeply and positively impacted the lives of a great many people. The chance to experience that knowledge for yourself is an opportunity indeed one I urge you not to miss,” the AKU President reckoned.

The School of Nursing and Midwifery, celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, saw 176 nurses graduate, 163 with undergraduate and 13 with graduate degrees. After today’s convocation, the School has almost 4,000 diploma and degree graduates in Pakistan.

The Medical College awarded 1 PhD in the health sciences, 34 master’s, 95 undergraduate degrees and 19 advanced diplomas (16 in human development, 3 in health professions education) as well as 10 diplomas in dental hygiene. In education, 1 PhD and 37 Master of Education degrees were conferred and 10 Master of Arts in Muslim Cultures to students from the University’s Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations.

In his valedictorian speech, Sheraz Hussain, an MBBS graduate, said: “AKU’s student body is like a multicultural family. Everyone knows everyone else. We find strength in our diversity. There is one thing I would urge all my fellow graduates to do, once you’re ‘established’ do come back to serve the people who need you. I will end with three golden words, which have been my guiding principle since high school: Perseverance commands success!”

Aziza Jaffer Ali received the 2016 Best Graduate Award from the School of Nursing and Midwifery. She was also presented with the Nursing Practice Award given to the student as the clinical and community practice reflects a client-centered approach, distinctive critical thinking, problem solving abilities and ethical decision making.

The Medical College’s 2016 Best Graduate Award was presented to Dr Saneeha Shahid, for the highest aggregate score in the certifying examinations through the five-year MBBS degree programme.

Thursday, November 17, 2016

The Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), Karachi, has launched an advanced refractive surgery suite equipped with the latest laser technology for vision-correcting surgeries. The suite will enable eye specialists at the Hospital to customise treatment to each patient’s needs with improved performance in terms of precision, safety, comfort and recovery.

“A refractive surgery is a procedure that corrects common vision problems to reduce or stop a person’s dependence on eyeglasses or contact lenses,” Dr Irfan Jeeva, Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology and Service Line Chief of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology, AKUH, observed at the inauguration of the facility.

He described the most common vision problems as nearsightedness or myopia where distant images seem blurry, farsightedness or hyperopia where near images seem blurry, and astigmatism where close-up as well as distant images seem blurry.

There are several types of refractive surgery and only a qualified eye specialist can advise what is suitable after evaluating and briefing a patient on advantages and anticipated side effects, if any. A laser procedure called LASIK is the most popular refractive surgery to correct refractive errors caused by irregularities in the shape of the cornea.

“The first thing we check is the evaluation if a person is a good candidate for LASIK. Then we provide a consultation to help patients fully understand what improvements they can expect based on age, vision and lifestyle requirements. Patients who are not suitable candidates for LASIK would then be offered alternative solutions,” Dr Jeeva said.

Dr Sharmeen Akram, Assistant Professor and Section Head of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, AKU, explained that all vision-correcting laser surgeries worked by reshaping the cornea, improving the eye’s ability to focus.

“The laser portion of the treatment takes less than a minute and does not cause any pain. A person will usually be able to see well enough to drive on the day after the procedure,” he noted.

“We at AKUH continuously seek innovative solutions that can solve local healthcare problems and also keep our institution current with advances in the industry. The new Refractive Laser Suite can help patients achieve the best vision,” Hans Kedzierski, CEO, AKUH, reckoned.

“On top of that I would like to mention that our ophthalmologists will use protocols as per the best international practices. Training has been done accordingly and the protocols will be available on the Hospital website to support our patients,” he added.

Professor Zulfiqar A Bhutta has been honoured with The World Academy of Sciences 2016 TWAS Prize in medical sciences, in recognition of his “incisive work on academic paediatrics and public health in Pakistan, which has contributed to shape global child health and policy”.

TWAS Prizes are in nine fields and this year 10 winners were announced at the Academy's 27th General Meeting in Kigali, Rwanda.

So far only three prizes have been given to Pakistani scientists, one each in agriculture and biological sciences previously, since its inception in 1983.

Each year, TWAS awards prizes worth US$15,000 each to individual scientists from developing countries in recognition of their outstanding contributions to scientific knowledge, and to the application of science and technology to sustainable development.

The award is given to those who have been working and living in a developing country for at least 10 years. The prizes are given in nine fields ranging from agricultural sciences, biology, chemistry, earth sciences, engineering sciences, mathematics, physics, social sciences to medical sciences.

This year there were 10 prize winners: two each from Brazil, China and India; and one each from Chile, Mexico, Turkey and Pakistan. The winners will present a lecture on their research at TWAS’s 28th General Meeting in 2017, when they will also receive a plaque and the prize money. Prof Zulfiqar Bhutta’s nomination was made by the Pakistan Academy of Sciences.

“I am deeply conscious of the fact that my contributions have largely been possible because of the phenomenal team of young people that I work with, and the opportunity for scholarship and research that my peers and mentors provided me,” the award-winning professor remarked.

He has had a 30-year long academic career at the University and the global impact of his work has seen him take up prominent positions at leading universities in Canada, the UK and the United States.

An expert on nutrition, newborn and child survival, and micronutrient deficiencies, Prof Zulfiqar Bhutta is one of the most cited health sciences scholars from the developing world.

He has published 8 books, 88 book chapters, and over 725 indexed publications to date, including 145 in the world’s leading journal The Lancet alone. At the launch of the new Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health in September last year, he had represented AKU which has pledged to invest more than US$85 million over the next decade in support of the Global Strategy.

In December 2015, he was presented with the prestigious Turkish award, the 2015 International TÜBA Academy Prize, in health and life sciences.

The President of Pakistan has also conferred the Pride of Performance Award on Prof Zulfiqar Bhutta, in recognition of his major contributions in the field of healthcare education.

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